The News-Times parking lot in Danbury, Conn. looks like a small lake on Thursday, September 8, 2011 after rain brought widespread flooding to the region.

The News-Times parking lot in Danbury, Conn. looks like a small lake on Thursday, September 8, 2011 after rain brought widespread flooding to the region.

Photo: Libor Jany

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Image 26 of 28

The News-Times parking lot in Danbury, Conn. looks like a small lake on Thursday, September 8, 2011 after rain brought widespread flooding to the region.

The News-Times parking lot in Danbury, Conn. looks like a small lake on Thursday, September 8, 2011 after rain brought widespread flooding to the region.

Photo: Libor Jany

Image 27 of 28

The News-Times parking lot in Danbury, Conn. looks like a small lake on Thursday, September 8, 2011 after rain brought widespread flooding to the region.

The News-Times parking lot in Danbury, Conn. looks like a small lake on Thursday, September 8, 2011 after rain brought widespread flooding to the region.

Photo: Libor Jany

Image 28 of 28

Thursday morning downpour leads to road closures, school delays

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Dozens of Danbury-area drivers were stranded after overnight and early morning downpours led to flooding, road closures and school delays Thursday.

The back parking lot at Danbury Police Headquarters on Main Street -- reserved for police personnel -- was completely flooded, while the elevated visitor lot was nearly overflowing with the department's fleet of Crown Victorias and support vehicles.

Most of the cruisers escaped damage, having been moved from the lot bordering the Still River on Wednesday evening.

Officer James Pacific said the parking lot was relatively dry when he arrived at the station about 6:30 a.m. But 30 minutes later, when he was in the locker room preparing for his shift, fellow officers advised him to move his car.

"I got it out just in time," Pacific said. "The water was starting to seep in the doors."

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the Still River in Brookfield and the Housatonic River in the Gaylordsville section of New Milford that were scheduled to remain in effect until midnight.

A number of area roads were closed because of flooding, including Route 7 in New Milford between Bridge Street and Sunny Valley Road, a traditional problem spot, and Route 6 in Danbury.

In Ridgefield, heavy rains shut part of the George Washington Highway, as well as Shadow Lake Road, but they reopened later in the day.

New Fairfield officials were forced to close Route 39 near Bogus Hill Road because of downed trees and wires, leading to significant traffic delays.

In Southbury, River Road, River Trail and East Flat Hill Road were closed Thursday evening because of flooding.

Several area schools were also affected by the flooding.

Students at Ridgefield schools endured two-hour delays, according to Ridgefield Superintendent Deborah Low. So did Wooster School in Danbury.

He said Hurricane Katia, which will likely pass east of the state, is expected to have little effect on the local weather -- welcome news for an area still reeling from a direct hit by Tropical Storm Irene on Aug. 28.